stampede

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: stam=pede

CIDE DICTIONARY

stampede, n. [Sp. estampida (in America) a stampede, estampido a crackling, akin to estampar to stamp, of German origin. See Stamp, v. t.].

•  A wild, headlong scamper, or running away, of a number of animals; usually caused by fright; hence, any sudden flight or dispersion, as of a crowd or an army in consequence of a panic.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any sudden unconcerted moving or acting together of a number of persons, as from some common impulse; as, a stampede to the gold regions; a stampede in a convention; a stampede toward U. S. bonds in the credit markets.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

  "She and her husband would join in the general stampede."  [1913 Webster]

stampede, v. i. 

 To run away in a panic; -- said of droves of cattle, horses, etc., also of armies.  [1913 Webster]

stampede, v. t. 

 To disperse by causing sudden fright, as a herd or drove of animals.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

stampede, n. & v.
--n.
1 a sudden flight and scattering of a number of horses, cattle, etc.
2 a sudden flight or hurried movement of people due to interest or panic.
3 US the spontaneous response of many persons to a common impulse.
--v.
1 intr. take part in a stampede.
2 tr. cause to do this.
3 tr. cause to act hurriedly or unreasoningly.

Derivative

stampeder n.

Etymology

Sp. estampida crash, uproar, ult. f. Gmc, rel. to STAMP

THESAURUS

stampede

abject fear, accelerate, affright, alarm, awe, blue funk, boggle, bolt, bundle, bustle, charge, chase, confound, consternation, cowardice, crash, crowd, dash, discomfit, dismay, dispatch, dread, drive on, expedite, fear, fight shy, flee, flight, fling, forward, fright, frighten, funk, haste, hasten, hasten on, hie on, horrification, horror, hurry, hurry along, hurry on, hurry up, hustle, hustle up, jib, jump, jump a mile, panic, panic fear, phobia, precipitate, press, push, push on, push through, put in fear, put to flight, put to rout, quicken, race, railroad through, rout, run, rush, rush along, scare, scatter, scattering, send scuttling, shoot, shy, skedaddle, speed, speed along, speed up, spur, start, start aside, startle, take flight, tear, terror, unholy dread, urge, whip, whip along